Episode 1
Kalak, God-King of Tyr, is dead. Slaves have revolted and many honest folks flee marching across the burnt world of Athas in great bands. One such band marches now for the trade city of Altaruk, tucked away in the eponymous mountains. Here we find our adventurers, making their way as guards along ancient roads now subsumed in sand. Stone rises high to the south as our adventurers march with the sun against their backs. A noise catches the elven ear of Rex'shak the priest. It was just stones falling down the cliff. Still he pulls his bow. Before he even has a chance to shout a warning a boulder comes bounding down the cliffside. It lands in a clap of thunder down onto a half dozen men and nearly as many animals. The air fills with the squealing war cries of Silt Runners as they dart down the hillside from behind rocks and hidden in amongst the scrub. Archers open fire on the helpless travellers and two stone spears find purchase in Einn's Dray scales. Spells are murmured among the death screams. Roctii the half-dwarf stampedes his mount the oncoming attack. It's over as quickly as it had begun. None are left unscathed but, thanks to our adventurers, most are alive and whole. Our party is formed in blood, three road warriors united in battle. Cheers and whoops and congratulations are handed out, even to those so unlike the people they saved. The retelling only gets bigger as the band reaches it's destination and go forth to tell their tale to any who would listen. Altaruk is a city built on trade. A fortress of sandstone towers over the unprotected collection of tents and mud-brick hovels. The wealthy trade lords of Wavir care only for business and the movement of goods. They have little time for travelers, save for the scion of another trade house. Niu is one such Scion, from the small trade house of Akta. Doors open for Niu that shut in the face of the others. Even though the house of Akta bears the signs of otherworldly heritage, they are still a respected merchant family. Rex'shak finds a warm welcome amongst the elven ghetto of Altaruk. A rat's nest of tents erected wall to wall in a fenced off quarter of the unprotected city in the shadow of Wavir's fort. The elves here haven't seen a priest of their own kind pass through in years, and quickly welcome Rex'shak. They even, begrudgingly, welcome his companions. A night of elven celebration eases the stresses of the road and cement the bond between our adventurers. The morning light brings with it an offer of work from the half-elven Azrahad. A caravan leaves soon for Balic, bringing goods from Tyr which is still in disarray from the uprising. The offer is for a rear guard down the Trade Road. The first day goes well. Our adventurers meet their fellow guards Etheros and Haakar in the back rank and learn the routines of the caravan. The second day brings a fright in the form of a Sand Beauty tempting Etheros into her grasp and then draining the life from him. Only by the quick action of Rex'shak is Etheros saved. On the third day came the sandstorm. It came up out of nowhere, a wall of sand that blotted out the sun and obscured one man from another. It took time but our adventurers found one another in the storm and sought refuge in the crags of a stone formation. What looked from the outside like a natural formation of stone jutting out from the desert was, in reality, the outside of some ancient structure. Within they find a beautiful foyer appointed with rich freizes along the walls and a sparkling wading pool in the center. A locked door inscribed in an unknown language awaits them. Next time.